We are at Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2017 all this week in Amsterdam, The Netherlands! We’ll be at Stand #1-F6 from Tuesday, Feb. 7 through Friday, Feb. 10. If you’re at the show, please be sure to stop by and say hello! If not, you can still stay up to date on our new product announcements and all the happenings throughout the event by going to our ISE 2017 Information Page. We’ll also be updating this post daily with up-to-the-minute photos, videos and buzz from the show floor. As new information comes in, we’ll share the latest details with you here, so check back often.

You can also follow our HARMAN Professional Solutions social media channels for live updates and exclusive content on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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AKG AMX BSS Crown JBL Martin Soundcraft Studer

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The theme for HARMAN Professional Solutions at the show this year is “Elevating the Connected Enterprise.” If you are wondering what that means, this video says it all:


Friday

It’s the last day of the show and it has been a whirlwind. Believe it or not, we still have a lot to share with you. First, we have yet another award! We are so honored and excited to win an ISE Best in Show Award from Installation Magazine for our Connected PA solution!

We were also excited to have Tim Albright from AVNation stop by the stand and speak with us on a range of topics:

Shaun Robinson, Director of Enterprise Solutions and Marketing talking about new AMX products

Bradford Benn, Sr. Solutions Manager, Themed Attractions talking about integrated audio, video, lighting and control (Bradford also works as a “digital janitor” for AVNation)

Shaun Robinson addressing voice-enabled cognitive rooms featuring IBM Watson

David McKinney, VP, Hospitality talking about Connected Retail

Speaking of David, we actually had a chance to sit down with David McKinney ourselves and ask a few questions:

What have people been really excited about at the show?

“There’s been a couple different things. On the connected retail space, we’ve been showing off our IoT solution, which is a very different solution that HARMAN has shown before. A lot of customers have no idea that we actually have these resources within HARMAN and we have these expertise, and it’s been amazing to be able to tell the whole story between audio, video, lighting and control, and then IoT wrapping around it. People get how that’s really transforming us into be able to provide the total solution. We’ve met with multiple customers who have been wowed by the fact that we’re in that space. They’re not seeing that from anyone else on the floor. Being able to have that wrapped around the audio/video side and bringing it all together has been real exciting.”

And what has the general reaction been from people when they see all of this?

“A lot of customers are coming up to us—partners, system integrators and consultants—and are saying, ‘Wow, HARMAN seems to have changed. HARMAN seems to be doing things that are completely different than what we’ve been doing in the industry before.’ It’s not the conventional products. It’s things like the connected IoT space, things like IBM Watson integration for voice command control. These are things that people did not expect from HARMAN, and that’s setting us apart and really paving the way from the future of how people look different at HARMAN. As we’ve brought all of these companies over the last while, that’s actually starting to show people that this is the strength behind HARMAN and what we’re able to offer.”

Any particular new products that have really impressed the hospitality customers that have come through the booth?

“We’ve brought a lot of retail and hotel customers through and shown them the experience they get with AMX networked AV solutions like the new N2400 Series. The fact that we can do 4K60 4:4:4 in a 1 Gbps pipe, compared to what others have done, opens up a lot of opportunities for customers that they didn’t expect to see. This is 6 months after our last product release, and the actual rate of innovation really shows how HARMAN is a technology leader and a real innovator that’s driving things forward. That’s important for retail customers who are really trying to ensure things look as good as they possibly can on the screens in their stores, and they’re looking at HARMAN as a way to be able to achieve that.”

So would you say that ISE 2017 has been a success? Was the stand and what we had to show effective?

“Absolutely. So many different applications are being opened up by customers going into the booth and going, ‘My goodness! I didn’t know I could do this and use this product in this venue!’ They’re actually bringing more ideas to the table than we ever thought.”

Earlier, I mentioned our voice-enabled cognitive room solutions. Commercial Integrator Europe actually had an excellent article on our solutions that I wanted to share:

Finally, I have already talked about the two InAVation awards that HARMAN won at ISE this year. However, now we have a video from the event. Look for John Mangnall, Sales Lead, Corporate and Education for HARMAN Professional Solutions, at the 1:27 mark.


 

Thursday

We’re well underway with Day Three, and the action at the stand is still coming. If you’ve been wanting a better feeling of what it’s like at the stand, we have the perfect video for you! Here’s a great, quick overview of the HARMAN Pro ISE stand:

I mentioned earlier that AMX and JBL won InAVation awards for the AMX RoomBook (now AMX Acendo Book) and the JBL CBT1000. Today, we have a third award to share. This one actually goes to our channel partner, Snelling Business Systems. Snelling won an InAVation award for Corporate Facility Project of the Year. The award was for the Institute of Engineering and Technology: Savoy Place, an installation featuring AMX NetLinx NX Series control processors, AMX Modero X control panels, BSS SoundWeb London networked audio products and JBL speakers. Here’s a photo from the installation: John Mangnall, Sales Lead, Corporate and Education for HARMAN Professional Solutions (left in the group of three in the photo below), was part of a discussion panel for AV Magazine on the theme of “How Strategic is AV in Your Company?” We also had the chance to grab Chris Smith, VP of Sales, EMEA for HARMAN Professional Solutions and asked him for his impression of the reaction from people he’s spoken with so far. This is what he had to say:

“People have really been impressed with all of the HARMAN solutions coming together, and how we’ve managed to piece together all of the different brands into the markets that we know are relevant. In particular, everyone has been blown away by the connectivity piece that we have across different areas, such as Connected PA, Connected Retail, connectivity to IBM Watson. We’re the first vendor that can actually do what people have been saying that they ‘will be able to do one day.’ This is here now, this is exciting now and we can go and take this to our customers now.”

Now, if you have been wanting to learn more about the new products we’re announcing at the show, I have a treat for you. While I’ve told you about the AMX Acendo Core meeting platform, you haven’t had the opportunity to see it in action. Now, you can! Check out this interview with Paul Krizan, Product Manager behind the Acendo Core.

If you have been following this post so far, you’ve already seen a photo or two of the AMX Acendo Vibe premium conferencing soundbar. However, as someone who has seen it in person, I’ll say that the photos don’t quite do it justice. So, to help you out, I have video for you that includes another interview with Paul Krizan, as well as plenty of imagery of this very nice-looking soundbar.

Finally, I have one more interview for you. This time, it’s with Michael Saadeh, Product Manager for the AMX Acendo Book standalone scheduling panel.

  Speaking of videos, our Polish friends at ESS Audio shared this video of one of the features at our stand. If you’ve been wondering what an integrated HARMAN conference room looks like, check this out:

Here is some of the other photos that people have shared from our stand:

 

 

#raiamsterdam #akg #best #headphones A photo posted by TMS (@tms.2016) on

 

 

#harman #akg #amx #bss #crown #jblpro

 

A photo posted by TMS (@tms.2016) on

 

 

 


 

Wednesday

Day Two of ISE is underway, and things are still intense. Our friends at AV Technology Magazine said it best:

We reached out to some of our team on the ground about how the week was going and what the reaction has been. Here’s what they had to say:     On the reaction to the AMX Acendo Series

“The feedback to the AMX Acendo Core and Acendo Vibe has been fantastic. All of the areas where we’ve been demoing these products have been completely packed all day long. When people realize everything that we’ve included with the AMX Acendo Vibe, how it’s really this all-in-one that they can put on the wall and it gives them great audio a video for all their web conferences, they’re amazed at all they can do with that product.” —Paul Krizan, Product Manager, Networked AV

 

“When people see the AMX Acendo Vibe, they’re loving the integrated CEC, and they’re loving the industrial design. It really has the looks that help it fit into a modern office environment. When people see the Acendo Core, they’re really surprised at how quickly they can actually start their meeting and get into their Skype session.” —Shaun Robinson, Director, Solutions and Marketing, Corporate, Education and Government

On adding AES67 across various HARMAN product lines

“People have been incredibly excited about the addition of AES67 to some of our products—particularly the AMX networked AV encoders and decoders—and how that helps them deliver integrated audio, video, lighting and control.” —Iain Gregory, Director, Solutions and Marketing, Large Venues

 

“The feedback on AES67 has been excellent. It provides a level of interoperability with other HARMAN devices that our customers have really found compelling.” —Andy Whitehead, Sr. Director, Networking

 

“With the integrated networked audio between AMX, BSS and Crown, people are really excited to see us bring the whole HARMAN Pro portfolio together.” —Shaun Robinson

On the traffic in the booth

“The huddle space technology is definitely capturing a lot of attention and interest. It’s a real game-changer. Connected PA is also a big attraction, although it’s not core to the enterprise audience that attends ISE, because a lot of the attendees are former roadies and music junkies. We also have a lot of people looking at our Connected Retail solution. That is really showing what’s possible when you integrate some of these technologies and deliver not only a new customer experience but also from an operations standpoint helping to generate revenue. It’s really resonating with people.” —Brion Hanlon, Field Marketing Manager

One of the things putting a spring in our step today is that we are thrilled and honored to have won two inAVation Awards this year from inAVate Magazine for the JBL CBT 1000 column array speaker and the AMX RoomBook (now AMX Acendo Book) scheduling panel! Thanks inAVate!

As it was yesterday, the center of attention on Day Two of the show is the AMX Acendo product family, including both the Acendo Core and Acendo Vibe. The AMX Acendo Vibe is premium soundbar that includes JBL speakers, far-field microphones and a wide-angle camera into a single, beautiful frame. Inside CI stopped by and spoke about it with Paul Krizan, Product Manager for Networked AV.

Any way you slice it, the whole AMX Acendo family has sparked a lot of attention at the show. Convergent AV had a great write-up on their blog highlighting why they felt Acendo was so important, saying in part:

Harman Professional was certainly saving the product releases for the global industry’s biggest platform, and it appears to have been met with a very big response in turn… Knowing the company as well as I do as a leader in Pro AV (including networked AV), I had no doubt that Harman Professional would be ready to bring the AMX brand big to ISE along with their other pro solutions.

 

We also had another great article posted by Italian publication SystemsIntegration. While I (sadly) don’t speak Italian, Google Translate tells me that the article reads, in part:

We were waiting to see how AMX would be presented to ISE after they joined Harman following the recent acquisition – and you have to admit that there is no reason to be disappointed.

 

Of course, we have more than just AMX Acendo to show. One of the new things we’re announcing at the show is support for AES67 within BSS, Crown and AMX product lines. This allows, among other things, the ability to distribute audio between AMX networked AV encoders/decoders, BSS digital signal processors (DSPs) and Crown amplifiers. Back in December, AVNation predicted that AES67 would become the “preferred audio transport” this year (technically, it’s more of an intermediary than a transport protocol, but we’ll give it to them).

Here’s a good summary from Pro Sound News on the announcement:


 

Tuesday

It’s the first day of the show here at ISE, and the crowds have been massive! Reports are already estimating that this might be the biggest ISE ever, and last year crowds were over 65,000. We’ve had a lot of traffic in the booth, and of course the biggest buzz is about the brand new AMX Acendo product line, including the AMX Acendo Core presentation solution, Acendo Vibe Conferencing Soundbar and the Acendo Book scheduling panel.

 

Here is just a taste of the action from the booth on the first day:

 


Monday

There were a number of NEW PRODUCT ANNOUNCEMENTS that came out this evening! We’re so excited to share them with you. Below are some of the highlights. Remember, you can find more information on our ISE 2017 Information Page.

AMX Acendo Core Meeting Room Presentation and Collaboration Solution

Acendo CoreThe AMX Acendo Core is a complete solution for huddle and small meeting spaces and features direct integration with Microsoft® Exchange scheduling, one-touch Skype for Business integration, native document viewers, email document sharing and more to help teams improve collaboration and maximize productivity by starting meetings quickly and easily.

AMX Acendo Vibe Premium Conferencing Sound Bar

Acendo VibeAcendo Vibe is a premium conferencing sound bar that provides outstanding audio and video for web conferences. Featuring Sound by JBL, a wide-angle camera and a design that complements today’s modern office environments, Acendo Vibe ensures that everyone in the meeting is seen and heard clearly.

AMX Acendo Book Scheduling Touch Panels

Acendo Book -701Acendo Book standalone scheduling panels integrate directly with popular room scheduling software without additional system software or hardware requirements. Through new firmware, all AMX RoomBook scheduling panels immediately become part of the new Acendo product family, offering full scheduling integration with other Acendo products, plus improved panel usability, enterprise-grade networking and simplified setup.

AMX N2400 Series 4K/60 4:4:4 Encoders and Decoders

N2400The N2400 Series is the first video-over-IP solution to deliver full-quality 4K content over Gigabit Ethernet networks with near-imperceptible latency. With support for 4K video at 60Hz and 4:4:4 chroma, the N2400 Series enables businesses and active learning environments to bring ultra-high-definition video to viewers.

AMX N7142 Networked AV Presentation Switcher

N7142The N7142 is the first all-in-one presentation switcher to incorporate low-latency networked AV video distribution. With the ability to distribute video in a scalable and flexible way, the N7142 enables educators to enhance lecture presentations and reach more students in overflow classrooms.

AMX Enova DGX Dante™ Audio Switching Boards

Enova DGX 6400-ASB-DANThese new AMX Enova DGX networked audio switching boards feature Dante integration to deliver networked audio to/from AMX Enova DGX 100 Series Switchers. The new Dante board kits expand Enova DGX enclosures with up to 16 channels of networked audio. This enables flexible audio switching between traditional AV solutions and the industry standard Dante networked audio format and provides integrated DSP—including 10-band parametric EQ—on every output.

AES67 Support for BSS, Crown and AMX

HARMAN is announcing AES67 support for multiple HARMAN audio and video product families, delivering high-performance audio-over-IP streaming between various IP-based audio networks. Support for AES67 brings interoperability with other AES67 compatible systems to HARMAN product lines and provides AMX Networked AV encoders and decoders with networked audio compatibility with BSS and Crown products.

AKG HC644 and LC617 Hands-Free Microphones

The new AKG HC644 and LC617 hands-free microphones feature renowned AKG speech clarity, improved moisture resistance and an updated design that decreases visibility. The HC644 (head-worn) and LC617 (lavalier) microphones offer versatile attachment options and are ideal for classrooms, lecture halls and multiuse event facilities of any size.

AMX Rapid Project Maker (RPM) Version 3.0

The latest version of the industry-leading, cloud-based configuration tool offers a redesigned HTML 5 interface, a new enhanced and intuitive touch panel UI, simplified programming and more. RPM 3.0 allows users to simplify AV configuration and installation in huddle spaces, meeting rooms and similar applications.

We have been hard at work at RAI Amsterdam, getting everything setup at our stand for the big day. A huge thanks to all of our setup crew who made this show possible!

And, while our show crew was laboring away to ensure the HARMAN Professional Solutions stand looks great, our sales team was hunkered down learning all the ins and outs of our extensive line of new products.

We can’t wait to see everyone tomorrow! Be sure to stop by Stand #1-F6 to see us!